Nashville Predators » Detroit Red Wingshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators
The TennesseanSun, 16 Mar 2014 15:30:03 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6Preds in for old rivalhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/11/19/preds-in-for-old-rival/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/11/19/preds-in-for-old-rival/#commentsTue, 19 Nov 2013 18:35:40 +0000JOSH COOPER, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/?p=11417DETROIT Coming to Detroit, it’s strange for the Predators to think that this will be their only trip to the Motor City this year.

But with the NHL’s new alignment plan, Nashville plays the Red Wings just once here this season. Detroit will play in Nashville once. Under the old alignment the two were in the same division — the Central Division. Now Detroit is in the Eastern Conference and in the Atlantic Division.

“It’s weird that this is going to be the only time we’re in Detroit this season,” forward Colin Wilson said. “We’re used to coming here three to four times per year, and it’s a little different, but it’s a team we know really well. So it feels like they’re still in our division almost.”

When Nashville used to play Detroit, getting a win — and two points — was paramount. Divisional points are key, and the Predators needed them to move up in the standings on the Wings. That doesn’t mean this game isn’t important — it just doesn’t have that same type of element.

“We always have good games against Detroit. It’s always a battle. They’re close games. Guys are getting up for it,” captain Shea Weber said. “It’s a huge two points and we need to get things rolling on the right track.”

Interestingly, Nashville used to regard Detroit as its measuring stick. So the Predators tried to adopt a lot of the Red Wings attributes in order to try to beat them in the division.

“The Red Wings were the gold standard when we started and still are a high standard to this day,” coach Barry Trotz said. “We tried to emulate some of the things they did, and because they were so good in our early years, they made us a lot better.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/11/19/preds-in-for-old-rival/feed/0Predators look to spoil Wings, Mason in goalhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/04/25/predators-look-to-spoil-wings-mason-in-goal/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/04/25/predators-look-to-spoil-wings-mason-in-goal/#commentsThu, 25 Apr 2013 17:12:45 +0000JOSH COOPER, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/?p=10804DETROIT It would be quite the interesting final act as a division rival of the Red Wings for the Predators in their 6:30 p.m. game at Joe Louis Arena.

If Nashville beats Detroit in regulation, the Red Wings would fail to clinch a postseason berth tonight. If the Red Wings get one more point than Columbus this evening — the Blue Jackets play the Dallas Stars tonight — then they will make the playoffs for the 22nd straight season.

The Blue Jackets have 51 points in 46 games played. The Red Wings have 52 points in 46 games. The Red Wings hold the tiebreaker.

“It’s a little bit motivation,” coach Barry Trotz said. “I think everybody is playing for next year, and for jobs and all that and pride, so if we could put a dent in them, that would be very helpful.”

Nashville will start Chris Mason in goal tonight. Mason hasn’t picked up a win since Jan. 22, the second game of the season for Nashville.

Mason has started just four games this year. He has a 3.80 goals against average and .848 save percentage. In his last two starts, Mason has allowed 11 goals total.

“It’s tough getting in there, sometimes you don’t know what exactly to expect, and you don’t know how you’re going to feel until you get into the game,” Mason said. “But I felt pretty good in practice and hope to carry the feeling I had in practice to the game. Hopefully that translates well.”

The Predators play the Blue Jackets on Saturday, and Trotz said he hadn’t decided if he will start Mason or usual starter Pekka Rinne.

If Columbus is still in the playoff mix by that game, it could have major implications for the Blue Jackets.

For Mason, this is sort of an audition for next year. He’s 37 years old and his one-year contract us up after the season.

“I think people know what they’re going to get with me, and I don’t think one game is going to necessarily make or break that,” Mason said. “Every game I play, I try to play well, especially to end out a season, and against Detroit, I would like to have a good game. Just going to go out there, try to have fun and work my butt off.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/04/25/predators-look-to-spoil-wings-mason-in-goal/feed/0Preds go back-to-backhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/04/14/preds-go-back-to-back/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/04/14/preds-go-back-to-back/#commentsSun, 14 Apr 2013 17:48:34 +0000JOSH COOPER, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/?p=10670It felt like the middle of an intersection outside the Predators locker room earlier. That’s because the Vancouver Canucks were set to practice following Nashville’s and Detroit’s morning skate in advance of their game tonight.

So basically, three teams were trying to go through one small area of the building.

The Canucks will play the Predators tomorrow. This will be the second home back-to-back for Nashville in this lockout-shortened condensed 48-game schedule.

The previous was March 8 and 9 when Nashville beat Edmonton 6-0 on Friday and lost 2-1 to Minnesota in a shootout on Saturday.

“I think it’s an advantage, and we should use it,” defenseman Hal Gill said. “We have home ice and there’s no shortage of hate between (Nashville and Detroit), and then Vancouver as well. We want to play well, we want to play hard, we want to beat these guys, and it’s a good opportunity for us.”

Pekka Rinne will start in goal for Nashville. He did not play in the Predators’ Friday game against Dallas.

Also, forward Patric Hornqvist (“upper body” injury) is out for the next two games according to coach Barry Trotz.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/04/14/preds-go-back-to-back/feed/0Expectations up for Forsberg in NHL debuthttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/04/14/expectations-up-for-forsberg-in-nhl-debut/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/04/14/expectations-up-for-forsberg-in-nhl-debut/#commentsSun, 14 Apr 2013 17:26:15 +0000JOSH COOPER, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/?p=10666On the one hand, the Predators are trying to ratchet down expectations for 18-year-old prospect Filip Forsberg in his NHL debut Sunday night against Detroit.

But he also described Forsberg’s cutlery of skills, which includes a heavy shot that at one point fooled goaltender Pekka Rinne in Sunday’s morning skate, and there was a sense of anticipation in Trotz to see the 6-foot-1, 186-pound Forsberg in game action.

“He’s big, he’s 18 years old and he’s a load,” Trotz said. “You can see the skill set. He shoots the puck hard, you can see he has good mobility for a young guy. You’re excited.”

In a lost season for Nashville that has seen poor defensive play, offensive play and a bevvy of injuries derail the Predators postseason chances, Forsberg provides a slight glimmer of optimism.

Nashville traded for Forsberg from Washington on April 3 for Martin Erat and Michael Latta. Erat’s trade demand made the deal possible. Forsberg was the 11th pick in the 2012 draft.

He recently completed his season in Sweden, which enabled him to come to Nashville for the end of the Predators’ year.

“It’s been a pretty tough season (for Nashville), a lot of injuries that hurt the team a lot, especially on key players,” Forsberg said. “But we have a lot of good players, and hopefully we can become a real successful team in the coming years.”

Forsberg said he heard of the trade when he was at home preparing to go to sleep. A friend called him and told him of the deal.

“It was a bit of a shock, but it’s part of the job too,” Forsberg said. “Now I’m a Predator and I’m really proud of it.”

Trotz picked up Forsberg from the airport yesterday and took him to the house of forward Patric Hornqvist — a fellow Swede — where Forsberg is currently staying.

The key in these upcoming games — If Forsberg plays all six, the Predators will burn a year of his entry-level deal. If he plays five, they won’t — is for Forsberg to become accustomed to Nashville’s system.

For Sunday’s game it appears he will play on a line centered by David Legwand. Taylor Beck was on the other wing, at least in practice.

“Everybody in here knows how we act, and I think that will rub off on him,” captain Shea Weber said. “I don’t think you need to say too much. He seems like a good kid, and haven’t heard any bad things about him. I don’t think there’s anything you need to point out to him.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/04/14/expectations-up-for-forsberg-in-nhl-debut/feed/0Postgame quoteshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/24/postgame-quotes-19/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/24/postgame-quotes-19/#commentsSun, 24 Feb 2013 05:29:21 +0000JOSH COOPER, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/?p=10067DETROIT Below are quotes from the Nashville Predators after their 4-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

Forward Patric Hornqvist

On what made Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard so effective

“He was playing great. He has lots of confidence and had a couple really good saves in the start and really got him going, but we played really well offensively. We just have to bear down when we get the chances and find the back of the net.”

Forward Mike Fisher

On Nashville’s offensive performance

“I thought we came out pretty hard in the first, played a solid period and that’s the most chances we’ve had in a while, we had a lot of great chances. Howard obviously played real well and got a little lucky on some plays. We just have to keep at it. They got a couple of breaks. I don’t think we played badly.”

On the play of Howard

“He was kind of scrambling at times and any time you scramble … they collapse well in front of the net, they get guys back, so it’s hard to get second and third chances that are clean, but he was seeing the puck well and playing a solid game.”

Coach Barry Trotz

On his concerns

“The last two nights we generated lots of chances but we haven’t found the back of the net. They always ask ‘are you concerned?’ If we’re generating that many chances I’m not concerned.”

“The two things that concern me is, one, we’re getting outscored the last two nights … their fourth line has outscored our fourth line, and we’ve run into a couple of hot goaltenders and haven’t found the back of the net.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/24/postgame-quotes-19/feed/0Trotz recalls near firinghttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/23/trotz-recalls-near-firing/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/23/trotz-recalls-near-firing/#commentsSun, 24 Feb 2013 00:05:30 +0000JOSH COOPER, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/?p=10057DETROIT Maybe it was because he was in Joe Louis Arena. Or because he is now officially the longest-tenured coach with his particular team in the NHL, but Barry Trotz brought up an interesting moment in his personal history.

On Nov. 8, 2003, the Predators were down 3-0 at Detroit six minutes into the third period. Then Nashville scored four unanswered goals and won.

Years later, former owner Craig Leipold said he would have seriously considered firing Trotz had Nashville lost that game. The Predators then won nine of their next 11.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/23/trotz-recalls-near-firing/feed/0Rinne to start at Wingshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/23/rinne-to-start-at-wings/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/23/rinne-to-start-at-wings/#commentsSat, 23 Feb 2013 22:56:54 +0000JOSH COOPER, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/?p=10053DETROIT Do back-to-back games really matter that much in this year’s NHL? For the Predators, it hasn’t played much of a role. The Predators are 2-1-0 on the second part of the back-to-backs.

Nashville played last night against Vancouver and lost 1-0. The Predators had two days off and the Canucks were on the second night of a back-to-back.

“Even though you’re fresh because you didn’t play the night before, it may be a residual thing of seven or eight days straight that has tired you out,” Predators coach Barry Trotz said.

Starting goaltender Pekka Rinne played Friday night and will get the start again tonight against the Red Wings, according to Trotz. And if Rinne had his way, he’d play every game.

“You always get an argument from Pekka, ‘Shea Weber plays every night and everybody else plays every night,’ and that’s what the great ones do. They just want to play,” Trotz said.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/23/rinne-to-start-at-wings/feed/0Eaves back after injury against Predshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/23/eaves-back-after-injury-against-preds-last-year/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/2013/02/23/eaves-back-after-injury-against-preds-last-year/#commentsSat, 23 Feb 2013 18:18:54 +0000JOSH COOPER, The Tennesseanhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/predators/?p=10047DETROIT The fact that Red Wings forward Patrick Eaves will likely play his 10th game this season tonight appears to be a miracle in itself.

Last season, during a Nov. 26 game against the Predators, Nashville defenseman Roman Josi fired a shot that flew up and caught Eaves in his ear.

Eaves dropped to the ice and lay motionless. He had to be carried off on a stretcher. Eaves underwent surgery to have his jaw wired shut and missed the rest of the regular season with a concussion that stemmed from the injury.

That game was also Josi’s first in the NHL.

“It’s been a lot of treatment and just been a long process to get everything back in order,” Eaves said. “My head and my jaw and everything, so, yeah I’m fine and I’m back now.”

Eaves said Josi contacted him shortly after the injury.

“I received a text message from him, it was right after the game, but I didn’t get it for a while, but I saw it was right after the game and just apologizing,” Eaves said. “It clearly wasn’t his fault. The puck was rolling and it was completely unintentional, but it was nice he reached out that quickly to me.”

Tootoo, who was drafted by the Predators in 2001 and spent eight seasons in Nashville, played his first game in Bridgestone Arena after signing with Detroit over the summer.

The fans gave him a standing ovation during a first period video tribute. And then they booed him.

So what did Tootoo, one of the most popular players in Predators history, think about the boos?

“They cheer for their team and obviously any rival team comes in you’re going to hear a few boos,” Tootoo said. “It’s a part of it, but at the same time to have a standing ovation was pretty amazing. I would like to thank everyone once again for all their support.”

Tonight’s game between the Red Wings and Predators will be a little different for Tootoo. For one, it’s at Joe Louis Arena. Also, since Tootoo and Nashville got their first game out of the way, the nerves will probably be slightly less for Tootoo.

“Obviously there was a lot of hype going into the game in Nashville and obviously the reception I got was pretty amazing,” Tootoo said. “I know coming back here is just going to be another game for us. We’re division rivals and we have to get back on the winning ways and no better team to do it against.”

Also, the condensed schedule has lessened the anticipation level. The Predators lost last night to Vancouver, and the Red Wings have gone winless in five straight and just need a victory.

“We’re like playing every second day here,” Tootoo said. “It’s going to the drawing board to see which team we’re playing and making sure we know their systems and what not. It has definitely been busy. Every night we need to get points or we get pushed out of a playoff spot.”